Background: adequate exposure to Physical Education (PE) classes contributes to a healthier lifestyle among children during their lifespan.
Objective: the main objective of this research was to evaluate the perception of obese schoolchildren regarding their participation in PE class and to determine their self-esteem compared with overweight and normal weight groups.
Method: in total, 656 schoolchildren (284 females and 372 males), between eleven and 14 years of age, participated in this study. Assessments were made regarding age, sex, anthropometric variables, children's self-esteem, and perception of participation in the PE class. RESULTS: obese schoolchildren presented significantly lower values of self-esteem (p < 0.001), and exhibited the highest proportion of schoolchildren with low self-esteem (53%). There was a significant relationship between obesity and the following sentence: "I am the last one they choose for games and in games and sports"; 48.53% of schoolchildren with obesity responded positively. With the following sentence: "I look instead of playing", 57.4% of schoolchildren with obesity responded positively.
Conclusion: the results revealed that schoolchildren with obesity feel excluded from PE classes and show low levels of self-esteem, compared with normal weight schoolchildren.